Canada’s events industry connects travel, culture, and technology, supported by tourism activity and participation from both international visitors and domestic leisure travelers. In 2023, arts, entertainment and recreation employed 421,400 people, with 3.3% of the labour force in the field. Strong connectivity matters too: 87% of Canadian adults used smartphones in 2023, and businesses are adopting cloud and analytics—setting the stage for how events are planned and experienced.
Key Takeaways
- Tourism expenditure in Canada reached $105.8 billion in 2022 (in current dollars)
- Tourism gross domestic product (GDP) in Canada was $105.6 billion in 2022 (in current dollars)
- C$1.7 billion is the estimated Canadian audiovisual production market size (2024).
- In Canada, 3.3% of the labour force was employed in arts, entertainment and recreation in 2023
- Arts, entertainment and recreation employed 421,400 people in Canada in 2023
- In Canada, the arts, entertainment and recreation sector had 4.0% average annual wage growth in 2023
- Canadian travel and tourism accounted for 2.3% of total GDP in 2022
- In Canada, visitor exports (international tourism spending) were C$23.2 billion in 2023
- 67% of Canadian event organizers said hybrid events are part of their long-term strategy
- Canadian tourism spending on transportation was C$37.3 billion in 2022
- Canadian tourism spending on food and beverage was C$20.8 billion in 2022
- Canadian tourism spending on accommodation was C$26.7 billion in 2022
- In Canada, 93% of adults used the internet in 2023
- In Canada, 87% of adults used a smartphone in 2023
- 48% of Canadian businesses used cloud computing services in 2024
Canadian travel and arts employment rose in 2023 while hybrid events and personalized, ROI tracked marketing are shaping growth.
Related reading
01 · Category
Cost Analysis9 stats
01
Canadian tourism spending on transportation was C$37.3 billion in 2022
02
Canadian tourism spending on food and beverage was C$20.8 billion in 2022
03
Canadian tourism spending on accommodation was C$26.7 billion in 2022
04
The Canadian event sector faced a 22% decline in revenue during the first year of COVID-19 compared with 2019 (2020)
05
Average per-attendee spend for meetings and conferences in Canada was C$1,240in 2023
06
Average lodging expenditure per domestic overnight trip in Canada was C$142in 2023
07
C$37.3 billion in 2022 transportation spending (tourism categories listed)
08
C$26.7 billion in 2022 accommodation spending (tourism categories listed)
09
C$20.8 billion in 2022 food & beverage spending (tourism categories listed)
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
From 2022 to 2023, Canadian event and tourism costs remained substantial with transportation at C$37.3 billion and accommodation at C$26.7 billion while meetings and conferences averaged C$1,240 per attendee, highlighting that despite the event sector’s 22% revenue drop at the start of COVID-19, attendee and trip spending continued to anchor the industry’s cost profile.
report visual · Comparison
Canada 2022 tourism spending by category: Transportation vs Accommodation vs Food & beverage
In 2022, transportation was the largest tourism spending category in Canada, leading accommodation by a noticeable gap and outpacing food & beverage, indicating transportation is t
C$37.3 billion in 2022 transportation spending (tourism categories listed)C$37.3B
C$26.7 billion in 2022 accommodation spending (tourism categories listed)
C$26.7B
C$20.8 billion in 2022 food & beverage spending (tourism categories listed)
C$20.8B
source-verifiedwww150.statcan.gc.ca2022
02 · Category
User Adoption & Technology6 stats
01
In Canada, 93% of adults used the internet in 2023
02
In Canada, 87% of adults used a smartphone in 2023
03
48% of Canadian businesses used cloud computing services in 2024
04
34% of Canadian businesses used big data and/or analytics in 2024
05
11% of Canadian businesses had a formal cybersecurity plan in 2024
06
38% of Canadian event professionals cite data privacy/compliance as a key risk for tech adoption
Interpretation
User Adoption & Technology Interpretation
With 87% of Canadians using smartphones and 48% of businesses already using cloud services, the biggest user adoption momentum in Canada’s events industry is being tech enabled but it is constrained by only 11% of firms having formal cybersecurity plans and 38% of professionals seeing data privacy and compliance as a key risk.
03 · Category
Performance Metrics6 stats
01
74% of event marketers worldwide reported that personalization improves customer experience
02
On average, event marketers who measure ROI are 2.2x more likely to improve performance
03
The average click-through rate (CTR) for B2B emails was 2.2% in Canada in 2023
04
54% of attendees say their primary goal is networking at events in Canada (surveyed 2023)
05
A 10% improvement in attendee satisfaction is associated with a 3.7% increase in likelihood of repeat attendance (study using Canadian event survey data)
06
47% of Canadian organizations consider ‘on-time delivery’ the top operational metric for events/meetings
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
With 54% of Canadian attendees aiming to network and a 10% lift in attendee satisfaction linked to a 3.7% higher likelihood of repeat attendance, the performance metrics that matter most are clearly those tied to measurable engagement and attendee experience outcomes.
More related reading
04 · Category
Industry Trends4 stats
01
Canadian travel and tourism accounted for 2.3% of total GDP in 2022
02
In Canada, visitor exports (international tourism spending) were C$23.2 billion in 2023
03
67% of Canadian event organizers said hybrid events are part of their long-term strategy
04
Canadians took 35.4 million trips for leisure within Canada in 2023
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
With tourism contributing 2.3% of Canada’s GDP in 2022 and visitor exports reaching C$23.2 billion in 2023, it is clear the events industry is aligning with demand and strategy, as 67% of Canadian event organizers now treat hybrid events as part of their long-term plan.
05 · Category
Market Size3 stats
01
Tourism expenditure in Canada reached $105.8 billion in 2022 (in current dollars)
02
Tourism gross domestic product (GDP) in Canada was $105.6 billion in 2022 (in current dollars)
03
C$1.7 billion is the estimated Canadian audiovisual production market size (2024).
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
For the Market Size view, Canada’s tourism industry is enormous with tourism expenditure and tourism GDP both around $105.8 billion to $105.6 billion in 2022, while the estimated C$1.7 billion Canadian audiovisual production market in 2024 shows a smaller but distinct adjacent spending stream.
06 · Category
Industry Overview7 stats
01
In Canada, 3.3% of the labour force was employed in arts, entertainment and recreation in 2023
02
Arts, entertainment and recreation employed 421,400 people in Canada in 2023
03
In Canada, the arts, entertainment and recreation sector had 4.0% average annual wage growth in 2023
04
4.9% of all Canadian businesses reported providing “Arts, entertainment and recreation” services in 2023.
05
17.2% of Canadian workers in “Arts, entertainment and recreation” are self-employed (2023).
06
3.1% job vacancy rate in Canada’s arts and entertainment occupations in 2023.
07
45% of Canadian attendees indicated they are willing to pay more for events with better accessibility features (surveyed 2023).
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
Canada’s arts, entertainment and recreation sector, which underpins the events industry, employs 421,400 people and accounts for 3.3% of the labour force while showing strong momentum with 4.0% average annual wage growth in 2023 and a relatively low 3.1% job vacancy rate.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Alexander Schmidt. (2026, February 13). Canada Events Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/canada-events-industry-statistics
MLA
Alexander Schmidt. "Canada Events Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/canada-events-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Alexander Schmidt. 2026. "Canada Events Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/canada-events-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
33 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
www150.statcan.gc.ca
ised-isde.canada.ca
destinationcanada.com
compagny.com
salesforce.com
marketingcharts.com
mailchimp.com
cim.org
journals.sagepub.com
pmi.org
wttc.org
globenewswire.com
thebusinessresearchcompany.com
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
+19 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)